JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian-Israeli clashes continued today and Palestinian mourners buried their dead as the 22-nation Arab League opened an emergency summit in Cairo, Egypt, to deal with the three-week-long Middle East crisis.

Palestinian protesters fought with Israeli soldiers in Gaza and the West Bank on Saturday, leaving four Palestinians dead -- one in Jenin, one in Hebron, one in Ramallah, all in the West Bank, and one in Gaza according to Palestinian hospital sources. Meanwhile, in the West Bank town of Nablus, tens of thousands joined a funeral march for Palestinians killed in Friday's clashes.

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Dan Meridor, Chairman of the Israeli Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs committee, says the Palestinians prefer war over peace

Saturday's fighting and funerals came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said his country would wait to see what comes out of the Arab League summit in Cairo. He announced that Israel will monitor the crisis, reassess its position and, if necessary, call for a "time out" in the peace process.

At least nine Palestinians were killed in Friday's clashes. The fighting has continued virtually unabated since September 28, when Israeli opposition Likud party leader Ariel Sharon visited a Jerusalem shrine holy to both Muslims and Jews.

Friday's fighting broke out during the passage of a 48-hour so-called "cooling-off" period, agreed upon by Israel and Palestinians at an emergency summit Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

In Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat continued to say his goal is peace.

Palestinians on Saturday march through the streets of Nablus in the West Bank during a massive funeral procession for Palestinians killed in recent fighting

"I affirm that despite all the wounds and disappointments created during the difficult peace period on the Palestinian track, our choice is the choice of permanent, just and comprehensive peace," Arafat told fellow Arab League leaders.

Syria's new President Bashar Assad, attending his first Arab League summit, took a somewhat harsher tone.

"While we are after peace, Israel is after war," Assad said.

"I must say (Assad) used very extreme language," Israeli Parliament member Dan Meridor told CNN. "Extreme language will not lead anywhere ... We need an agreement, he needs an agreement, we need to talk, not to create this dramatic destabilization of the area."

Palestinian Cabinet minister Ziad Abu Zayyad told CNN on Saturday that if Israeli forces withdraw from the occupied territories and Israel promises to live with the Palestinians as "good neighbors, then things will change 180 degrees."